diff --git a/repos/os/src/drivers/nic/linux/main.cc b/repos/os/src/drivers/nic/linux/main.cc
index 3e650996a..ac2d59be2 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/drivers/nic/linux/main.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/drivers/nic/linux/main.cc
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <nic/xml_node.h>
 
 /* Linux */
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
@@ -152,7 +153,10 @@ class Linux_driver : public Nic::Driver
 			int ret;
 
 			/* blocking-write packet to TAP */
-			do { ret = write(_tap_fd, packet, size); } while (ret < 0);
+			do {
+				ret = write(_tap_fd, packet, size); 
+				if (ret < 0) PERR("write: errno=%d", errno);
+			} while (ret < 0);
 		}
 
 
@@ -167,6 +171,7 @@ class Linux_driver : public Nic::Driver
 			/* blocking read incoming packet */
 			do {
 				ret = read(_tap_fd, _packet_buffer, sizeof(_packet_buffer));
+				if (ret < 0) PERR("read: errno=%d", errno);
 			} while (ret < 0);
 
 			void *buffer = _alloc.alloc(ret);